Cold Case Rome
Investigating the Caesar Assassination
7.1 The Roman Empire
Print the file below. It has most of the stations you will need along with the student worksheet that they will use throughout the lab. The other exhibits are included below as well.
The show inspiring this lab is now available online via Amazon Instant. Get it here.
Here is the introductory video:
Set up each station around the room as space permits. The order is not important. It is helpful to place 5-6 copies of each document at each station.
After showing the introductory video pass out the Cold Case Rome handout (slide 4) to each student. On the back side print out the vocabulary sheet (slide 14). Review both documents as a class.
Pass out the sheets with the questions for each exhibit. (slides 2 and 3)
Release your "investigators" to the exhibits to gather evidence (answer the questions for each exhibit) allotting roughtly 4 minutes per exhibit. Alternately allow a set amount of time for all exhibits, 25-30 minutes works pretty well.
Exhibit H is this video:
Exhibit F uses this sound file: Cassius Speech.mp3
After students have completed their investigation bring the group back together. Project the "indictment" slide (slide 13) and have students respond to the prompt. The prompt, as written, is very simplistic and purposefully so. It is important to adjust the question to fit where you feel a particular group of students is taking the investigation. I've had different classes go off in very different directions and in this type of activity I encourage that. Add further debrief questions as you see fit.